just when i thought i was safe

[jessejames]

so hes done it again
jack the puppy snuck out last night while i was working the shop and killed my last white leghorn
ahhhhhh!!! !@#$ $#%^ !@*% #$%^
i know i know
i havent been leaving him alone with birds or anything the little bugger just snuck out when i thought he was asleep as i was working in wood shop
it was just now when let the chicken out that i noticed 1 a ile of white feathers and 2 no white chicken in my peep of RIR and RIR muts
man i was really looking forward to having at least a cpl white eggs
i just needed to vent and knew you guys would be here for me
please no 22 responses or the like
i know it is my fault that the bird died and i am devastated
i also think that jack might have to be rehomed even though he is otherwise an awome pup in training though its seems a waste of the chickens to give up now
these were questions i didnt want to think about going into the weekend
and definitely not how i wanted to start my day
oh well such is life on the farm
be well

 

[ruthie]

All I want to say is I am sorry you lost your leghorn. Don't beat yourself up about it for to long.

 

[darkmatter]

I had a dog that we trained not to bother the chickens, it was a Newfoundland-border collie cross, so it had livestock guarding genes to start with. We used a pinch collar to correct him when he first tried lunging at the chickens when first introduced to the chickens. I got him to lay down at the coop threshold and put greens on his nose, the juveniles I was raising at the time would come up and take the stuff off the dogs nose----I guess that satisfied his curiosity. He eventually would just sit out unleashed just watching the chickens and barking at anything that came in the yard. I really miss that dog---predation really escalated when he finally went for the final dirt-nap.

 

[2boxers]

JesseJames, I really am sorry about this. I wish I had some pearl of wisdom for you.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Well, I guess that is it for the chickens ?

Enjyoy your dog.

 

[jessejames]

what with the snarky attitudes around here it seems one cant post without someone making some crass and needless remark
i imagine people post here looking for help and support and though that is mostly what you get it seems there are some people bent on making stupid belittling remarks
i am sure this keeps some people from posting real problems
what is it my grand mother used say
oh yeah "if you dont have anything nice to say dont say it"

 

[Appaloosa Hill Farm]

Sorry for the loss of your leghorn. I, too, know how it is to have a great dog whose only vice is killing poultry. Our dog is a corgi/beagle mix and is WONDERFUL except for one thing--he loves to kill birds. We lost 2 to him before we outsmarted him. It's hard to lose a bird to predation, but doubly hard to lose one to your own dog.

 

[HennysMom]

Perhaps you should keep the pup with you at all times, in a kennel or on a leash? He got your last bird the same way, by sneaking out when you were in the shop - how did he sneak out the last time - Did he get out through a doggy door or something?

Sorry you lost yet another bird.

 

[jessejames]

well last time he got out when i was not home
i do keep him with me all the time the problem with my shop is that it is in a huge old barn and he keeps finding NEW ways to get out i can usually hear his efforts but was running loud equip when he got out this time and didnt notice till hours later
truth is both my dogs are kennel trained i just am not willing to have them in kennels when i am at home and they are with me
last nights kill really was an accident i had been working past dogs suppertime and i am sure jack just went looking for food and my leghorn was what he found darn!!

 

[CMV]

Sorry for your loss. I have a sneaky dog who goes wandering occasionally, so I can sympathize. Who would have guessed that a hundred pound dog could move as silently as a cat when it suits his devious purposes? Fortunately, my dog just goes visiting and doesn't bother livestock, but that's small comfort when I have to tromp through the neighborhood looking for him. Don't be too hard on your pup. If he's showing signs of being a promising dog then maybe keep him leashed to you at all times with a ten foot lead. Our older dog who is an angel now, was an unholy terror in her youth and cost us thousands of dollars with her destructive chewing- remote controls, cell phones, power supplies to computers, less than month old wall-to-wall carpets, $500 duvet cover, and more. These are just the things that stand out in my memory 5 years later. She was crate trained, but we also started keeping her leashed to us at all times to curb her evil ways. She turned into the best dog ever, but we seriously considered getting rid of her because of the amount of damage she could inflict in 5 minutes of unsupervised time. Each time she'd be out of our sight for 2 minutes she'd cost another hundred plus dollars- she had expensive tastes.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.